Letter 7029: I do not submit my letter to the judgment of critics — it was written for a friend, not for an audience.

29. Ennodius to Beatus. I do not, mindful of Spartan concision, shut up my letter within narrow bounds, nor do I mock your fine appearance by a studied effort at speech: it is foreign to me to say little among modest men. It is a thing of city-dwellers to subtract what is meager from what has been drawn out, and, without any necessity, to shape pages of the size that men's measure demands. As for the fact that in me you may have thought there to be something subtle concerning these matters which I set forth in my preface, it was haste-not always a friend of art-and chance that produced it. It is much for me, if fortuitous things have furnished what you may admire. Therefore I disclose the occasion of my writing, which I commend to you with my greeting placed first. When I had departed far from the city, the reminder of my lady Cynegia came upon me, as to why I had not honored her tomb with the praise of eloquence drawn out into song: a thing which, although I would do it out of reverence for the man himself, I have treated, because what shines with the light of merits ought to be celebrated by the richness of the pen. For not even God spurns the service of the unskilled, and, content with what He Himself bestows, He does not require diadems of words from rustics. In these verses, therefore, I have determined that the epitaph should be written. As to what is felt about it-so may your father live, and so may Rome, as far as concerns those things which are reproved in it, not make you her own-judge it simply and purely, and do not flatter my ears or my judgment with the deceit of a counterfeit favor. Do not blush to review my page even with certain persons, but especially and deservedly with my lady Barbara, since it is placed alongside you. Yet I wish that my little tablet may have as much taste as your hope, which in its hoary blossom surpasses the prayers both of myself and of her own parents, however grasping they may be. Greet on my behalf my lord Cethegus and my lady Blesilla his sister. Greet on my behalf Fidelis, Marcellus, Georgius, Solatius, Simplicianus. To whom say this: if the discipline of my lady Barbara is dear to you, frequent my lord, or her fathers or her brothers, since she is chaste and free of luxury: whoever shall do otherwise, let him not hope that he is to return to me. The reward of the best by the gift of Christ: What life was to me, the cross gave this for the tomb, Loosing the offspring from the flesh without a wound to the mind, Because, happy in my husband Faustus, I die before him. The medicine of the heart has scattered the tears. She who keeps the marriage-bed faithful by her merits- Let the matron long for a like lot.

XXVIIII. ENNODIVS BEATO. Non ego epistolam meam intra breues terminos Spartanae memor concinnationis includo nec formam tuam studio coacti sermonis inrideo: abest a me loqui pauca cum modicis. urbanorum eat exiguis producta subtrahere et sine aliqua necessitate paginas, quales poscit hominum mensura, formare. quod in me de his, quae praefatus sum, subtile putaueris, festinatio non semper amica artis et casus exhibuit. magnum mihi est, si dederunt fortuita quod mireris. ergo causam scriptionis insinuo, quam tibi praelata salutatione commendo. digresso mihi urbe procul domnae meae Cynegiae occurrit admonitio, quare sepulcrum eius non honorassem laude ducti in carmen eloquii: quod quamuis reuerentia uiri ipsius facerem, tractaui, quia quod radiat luce meritorum stili ubertate celebrandum est. nam nec deus officium respuit imperiti et contentus ipse quod tribuit a rusticantibus uerborum diademata non requirit. his ergo uersibus scribendum epitaphium destinaui. de quo quid sentiatur, sic pater tuus uiuat et Roma te, quantum ad illa quae in ipsa reprehenduntur, non suum faciat, ut simpliciter et pure indices, nec auribus meis aut sensui fuco mentitae gratiae blandiaris. non erubescas, etiam aliquibus, praecipue tamen et merito domnae Barbarae paginam meam recensere, quia tecum locatur. opto tamen ut tantum tabella mea quantum spes tua sapiat, quae in cano flore et mea et parentum suorum, quamuis sint auara, uota transgreditur. domnum Cethegum et domnam Blesillam sororem eius pro me saluta. Fidelem, Marcellum, Georgium, Solatium, • XXVIIII. 6 lubtraere B\' 8 que B prefatns B1 9 exibnit B 12 domne B*, dominae B (s. I. m. rec.) b cynigiae B (gi s. I.) b 13 sepulchrum B 14 fecerem B 15 q ̲ B s. I . luce (supra e ras.) B caelebrandum B 17 requiret B 18 epitaflum B distinaui B 20 repraehenduntur B 22 blandiares B etiam B, et etiam b praecipuae B 23 tamen] dominae add. Bb; deleui barbare B 26 et uota Bb; et deleui 27 dominum b oythegum B b dominam b blessillam B b 28 fidelem Marcellum b 13* Simplicianum pro me saluta. quibus dic: si uobis cordi est disciplina domnae Barbarae, domnum uel patres aut fratres eius frequentate, quia est casta luxuque carens: qui aliud fecerit, ad me non speret se esse rediturum. Optimi pretium uotorum munere Christi: Quae mihi uita fuit, crux dedit hanc tumulis, Dissoluens carni subolem sine uulnere mentis, Quod Fausto felix coniuge praemorior. Disiecit lacrimas medela cordis. Quae seruat meritis torum fidelem, Exoptet similem matrona sortem.